Comments, Feedback, and Questions

The Orchid Forum became so popular that we had to move it to a new page in the blog section of the site. Thanks for all of your great questions and answers; they will be kept here for reference, so feel free to look through the information. If you do not find an answer to your question, please visit the new Question & Answers page on the About Orchids Blog and ask it there. Thanks!

Forum Entries:

By: Brooke Mauldin | Date: Mar 14, 2010 |

I recently purchased an orchid from Wal-Mart. I think it's dying. I read the care instructions, and I think I've been doing everything right, but the plant don't think so! I water it when the bark/moss is almost dry, and I don't have it sitting near a window or any kind of direct sunlight. What am or have I done wrong? and what can I do to keep it from dying completely?

I was wondering whether orchids are suitable for Campbelltown, Sydney, in an outside garden, where we have both extreme heat and cold winters. If it's suitable in a pot for outdoors, does it prefer shade or sun?

Don't repot while it's in bloom, and don't cut off any living roots. As long as your orchid has good humidity, there's no need to worry about roots growing outside the pot. You probably don't need to water every day unless you live in a hot dry area. Check basic care info for Phals.

By: Shyni | Date: Mar 9, 2010 |

I have no green thumb.
To help me "grow" my green thumb, boyfriend recently bought me a beautiful phalaenopsis from a store(which i've been admiring for months), that simply dried up and died due to the north facing room it was in, and i assume it just didn't get enough sun or something.
Undeterred, I bought another one of the same with beautiful flowers...and what seemed like very healthy roots even though some of them seem to be breaking off from each other( I just assumed it was because the pot was too small and it had no where to "fall over" and grow to).

Unfortunately, when I lifted the inner plastic part out of the clay pot(it had no draining holes) I discovered that a lot of the roots at the bottom are rotted, similar to the previous orchid's before it dried up.

I have left it in open air to ensure that all the moisture has been dried, and I've been watering it every morning, left it in the sunniest part during the day.

But I'm wondering if the orchid can be re-potted, even though it's in full bloom? and have its roots trimmed off? or shall I wait until it is finished blooming?

I had a beautiful orchid, but all the flowers fell off after some time and now all I have are the healthy green leaves. Will it bloom again? What, if anything, did I do wrong? I followed the instructions which said give it 3 ice cubes once a week. I'm devastated b/c it was a gift.

By: EILEEN COWAN | Date: Mar 7, 2010 |

I have kept 4 phalaenopsis orchids all winter in an East facing light . watered with rainwater as directed and now one by one they are dying the base leaves turn yellow and drop off followed soon after by the rest of the leaves.#What am i doing wrong?

I have a cymbidium that has bloomed for the last two years in the spring. However, one of the stalks has turned yellow. the others are green and I have new stalk coming out. What could be the cause of the yellowing one?